


We Should Kiss Like Real People Do

by quietlydefiant



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-02-28 11:28:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13270494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietlydefiant/pseuds/quietlydefiant
Summary: Prompto is married off to the leader of a nomadic tribe by his uncle and Emperor, Arydn, for political power.





	1. I have never known peace

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on Game of Thrones, but not really?

Prompto stared out the window of the car, watching the grassy fields pass by. They had turned off the main road a few hours ago and now drove on a dirt path barely big enough for their vehicle. It bumped along as they sat in silence and he fiddled with his camera that was slung around his neck on a strap.

“Are you excited, Prompto?” His uncle Arydn asked. He was the Emperor and Prompto's only family. His parents had died when he was young and had left him in the care of his uncle, meaning he was mostly left to raise himself with intermittent appearances from Arydn. He assumed that was how it would be his whole life, him alone with the Emperor showing up every now and then, but his uncle had other plans apparently. 

“I-” He stuttered, biting at his nails. They were already ruined but if he kept going at this pace, he would make himself bleed. “I don't know.” But the truth was that he did know, he just didn't want to say it out loud. Prompto would rather be anywhere but here right now, had even thought of jumping out of the car and making a run for it.

His uncle had set him up to be married to the leader of a nomadic group, Gladiolus Amicitia. The union would forge a stronger alliance between the Empire and what was considered the largest mobile force on Eos. The people were warriors who wandered the lands, sticking to places barely inhabited but occasionally stopping in cities and towns to resupply and sell goods. They technically were citizens of Niflheim, but were also considered their own separate entity. They were free to do as they wish as long as they did not interfere with Imperial business and came when called. 

“You're doing the Empire a great service.” Arydn said with a coy smile. “You're securing their allegiance as well as helping build our army.” He made it sound like Prompto actually was doing Niflheim a great service, but, in truth, he was just being sent away.

The nomads already had an obligation to serve the Empire, as they were citizens, but had never been called upon before, there was no need to. But now Arydn was planning on attacking Lucis and would need the extra man power. It was already completely in the Empire's right to ask the tribe to join their army. The marriage was useless and just an excuse to find somewhere for Prompto to disappear to.

The car slowly came to a stop and the driver let them know this was as far as the car would go, that they would have make the rest of the journey by chocobo. As they stepped out of the car, they were greeted by a man Prompto was unfamiliar with. He was shirtless, wearing only darkened leather pants, and a sword strapped to his side.

“I'm Libera. I'm to escort you. It'll be another few hours before we make it to the campsite.” He stated, helping them pull their things from the trunk.

Prompto frowned. Another few hours? It was hot and the journey had already been long. They had left before the sun had even risen and it was now already mid afternoon. He looked out over the landscape and wondered if there was really anything more out there other than dried up grass. He raised his camera and took a lovely photo of it rippling in the wind like waves in the ocean.

They loaded up one chocobo with their luggage, two bags for him and a small one for his uncle. The Emperor did not plan on staying long, he was only there to perform the official ceremony and then he would return home, leaving Prompto all by himself. When he had learned this, he had thrown a fit, but his uncle cited that he couldn't be away from the capital for long.

“This one is for you,” Libera said, handing the reins over to Prompto. “A gift from the groom.” 

He took the leather straps and stared blankly at the bird. The chocobo was a royal blue, probably the prettiest one he'd ever seen, not that he had seen many. Cars were the biggest form of transportation in the Empire, mounts only being seen in the rural areas. Riding one for the first time should be fun.

“A gift?” He reached his hand out to the bird, who looked at him curiously. It chirped before nuzzling its beak against his palm. He instantly fell in love.

“Only the best for the future spouse of our leader.” The nomad said from atop his own bird, which was a golden yellow. “Now, we should get going, we don't want to be out when it gets dark.”

Prompto nervously got on the chocobo, and gently nudged her forward. She responded well to his nervous cues and rode smoothly on the worn path. They rode for what felt like forever, the sun slowly setting as they traveled, until the grass began to thin around them. 

“We're almost there. I'll bring you to a tent where you can rest and change.” Libera explained. Not much later, they began to see the signs of the campsite. Torches lined the path as they rode along, and up ahead they saw a group of people waiting for them. 

As they came upon them, the crowd parted. They greeted Libera and waved to him and Arydn, who smiled down at them. Most of them had probably never seen the Emperor before and seemed to be dazzled by his intricately designed clothing and regal manner. He soaked up the attention and rode tall like he knew he belonged.

Prompto on the other hand shrunk down, wishing no one would notice him. The welcoming voices of the people turned to whispers as he passed by. This is the man, no, the boy who would marry their leader? He was pale and small, and looked like he would break easy. They all must have been disappointed. He stared at the feathers on his chocobo to avoid their eyes and did not look up until Libera stopped in front of one of the tents.

“This will be yours for the night.” He dismounted and tied his bird to a hitching post, as well as the one that carried their belongings. Ardyn followed suit, tying the bird up and taking his one small bag.

“Just for the night, nephew. Then you get to share one with your husband.” His uncle helpfully reminded, flashing him a toothy grin.

“Right.” He said softly, gripping the reins tightly. Maybe he could spur the chocobo into action and run away, never to be seen again. Arydn, seemingly knowing what he was thinking, grabbed the lead and tied the bird up.

“Get your things now and get ready for dinner.” Arydn commanded. “You'll need plenty of rest, tomorrow is going to be a big day.”

Having no choice, he dismounted and took his things from Libera reluctantly. 

“If you need anything,” The nomad said, “I'll be in the next tent over.” And left them to their own devices.

Prompto stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

“Well? Get inside.” Arydn held the tent flap back and ushered him in.

The inside was rather bare with only a table and a chair, and two sleeping pallets outfitted in some sort of hide. He set his bags on the ground, looked around, and tried not to cry. He could feel his uncle's gaze, but he didn't care. He wanted to go home, back to video games and his soft bed. Where his life was easy, and even if he felt he didn't belong in the palace, at least he knew he knew he would find his place in the city someday. He could have gone to school, been an amateur photographer until he landed a big gig and then made a name for himself. 

“Uncle-”

“It's okay, Prompto.” The older man stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I'm sure you'll adapt to this life style.” He didn't sound the least bit concerned.

“But-”

“Your place is here now. Everything will be fine.” There was clearly no room for protest, this is what he had to do. What he had to live with, for the rest of his life.

But could he even survive out here? The nomads followed the survival of the fittest ideology, and while he was quick on his feet and good with a gun, this was a more brutal style of living. They were all hunters, clad in leather armor, taking on any challenge that crossed their path. He was... not any of that. He was just Prompto, nothing special.

Instead of replying, he plopped down on one of the beds and closed his eyes. He was exhausted from the journey and from worrying. He was sure he could sleep for a million years, and he wouldn't mind if he never woke up.

“Are you not going to eat then?”

“ Nah. 'M fine.” He mumbled, kicking off his boots. “I think I'm just going to sleep.”

“Pity. I heard they made great mystery meat skewers.” His uncle chuckled. There was the rustling of fabric and then he was alone.

Now, tears streamed down the sides of his face, falling onto the furs. Sobs wracked his body and he rolled over to smother the noise of his cries in the pillow. He couldn't believe he was here, doing this. He prayed to the Six that tomorrow would never come, that the sun would never rise, and he wouldn't have to get married. 

Prompto wished all these things until he fell asleep.


	2. I Slithered Here From Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompro meets Iris and learns a little about the tribe

When he awoke, he found he was alone again. His uncle was not sleeping on the pallet just a few feet away, something he was thankful for. He felt gross, having spent the majority of the night crying, his face crusted with dried tears and mucus.

Dressed in the same clothes as yesterday, he stumbled out of bed over to a table with a bowl and pitcher on it. He poured water from the pitcher into the bowl and washed his face, cleaning away all evidence of last night. Prompto wiped his face on the edge of his shirt and sighed.

Today was the day. Just before sunset, he would be married. Then, his uncle would leave, and he would be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a man he hadn't even met yet, for the rest of his life. He wanted to cry again, but he found the tears would not come.

Straightening up, he took a deep breath and turned to the opening of the tent. He needed food, and need to get to know the campsite.

“This is your life now...you need to at least try.” He mumbled to himself, stepping forward and opening the flap. Sunlight streamed in and he balked at the brightness. It was later than he had expected it to be, probably closer to noon. His stomach grumbled at him, reaffirming his idea to find food.

When he stepped out, he was greeted with people bustling about, doing whatever it was they needed to do to get through the day. Prompto was sure some of them were getting ready for the ceremony tonight. Would they celebrate with a feast? Would they they just get it over with and go back to their lives? He knew they would follow the Empire's traditional marriage ceremony, but did the tribe have different customs he was expected to follow? He watched them for a bit before wandering forward.

It wasn't long before he was completely lost. All the tents looked the same and he recognized no one. He realized he could ask someone, but just the thought of approaching a stranger made his throat tighten in fear. He shoved his hands in his pockets and wandered for a bit longer, before he saw a flash of his Uncle's clothing.

“Uncle! Wa- Wait for me!” He called out, stumbling after him.

His uncle kept moving, disappearing into one of the tents. Prompto quickly caught up, but instead of following his uncle inside, stood outside the tent to listen to what was going on.

“...Gladio's younger sister?” He heard is uncle ask, voice muffled through the tent.

“Yeah! I'm Iris!” Came an excited young girl's voice. There was a significant pause and then, “ Your majesty.”

“Hmm... and what do you do in the camp?”

“Just about everything! Though, today, I'm stuck with making lunch.”

“Today only?”

“Yes, we all take turns doing the cooking and chores.”

“Even Gladiolus?” The Emperor asked, sounding amused.

  
“Yes, even Gladdy.”

“Seems a bit...below him, doesn't it?”

“Below...him?” Iris sounded confused.

“He's the leader of the tribe, why should he be doing the menial work. In fact...” The conversation dipped in volume for a moment, and Prompto shuffled closer to hear better.

Suddenly, an arm reached through the flap and grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him into the tent.

“Ah, nephew.” Arydn smiled at him, turning his back momentarily to Iris. “What a lovely surprise to find you lurking outside the tent.”

Prompto laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, taking in his surrounding. Iris was standing behind a large wooden table, with a curtain to her back. Smoke rose up from behind it and out of a hole at the top of the tent. “Yeah, I was just...uh...”

“Your timing couldn't have been better. I was just telling Iris, your new sister in law, about how you would be happy to help with all the domestic responsibilities around the camp. Six knows you won't be much use else where.” He turned back to the girl and shoved Prompto towards her. “For now, he'll do as you tell him.”

Prompto stumbled forward, catching himself on the table Iris was standing behind. Before he could say anything, his uncle was walking out of the tent.

“Uh...hi.” He said, straightening up and trying his hardest not to look embarrassed.

“Well that was...” Iris made a disgruntled face before sighing. “Discouraging.”

“Yeah, Uncle..er, the Emperor, he tends to be..He's just...”

“Mean? Rude? And that's just the first impression.” She said, turning away from and lifting up the curtain.

Prompto laughed for a moment before remembering no one was suppose to say that about the Emperor.

“He's the Emperor, he can do and say as he pleases.” Including make him do all the camps chores. “So where do I start?”

“Start?” She asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Uncle said I need to help, so I'm here to help.”

“It's your wedding day.”

“And Uncle said I was to help.” He moved to her side, taking the edge of the curtain from her. There was a cooking fire with a pot over it and a large basin of water, with dishes stacked off to the side on a table.

“Then you can start by eating something.” Iris walked up to the cooking pot and grabbed the ladle. “Corn meal with chunks of bacon. Nothing fancy, but it tastes pretty good.” She grabbed a wooden bowl and spoon and scooped the mixture into it before handing it to him.

“Thank you.” He said and began shoveling it into his mouth. He hadn't eaten all day yesterday and while it looked unappetizing, it smelled delicious. It turned out to actually taste delicious, even though he burned his tongue.

“So is what you said true?” He mumbled around his spoon. “That everyone pitches in to cook and stuff?”

“Yup! Even Gladdy! Though he's not the best cook.” She giggled. “Though I probably shouldn't tell you that the day of your wedding.”

Suddenly, the corn meal was like paste in his mouth. “Yeah.” Prompto laughed halfheartedly and set the bowl down next to the other dirty dishes.

“Iris!” A gruff voice called. “Anything left?”

“Just a second!” She called back. “You stay here and finish eating.” She pointed at his bowl and gave him a look. He took the bowl up again and that seemed to satisfy her. She grabbed another bowl and filled it up before pulling back the curtain once more.

“You're lucky.” Prompto heard her scold who ever was out there. “I was just about to put out the fire and start cleaning up.”

“I just got back from hunting for the feast tonight, you can't hold that against me.” The man said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“You need to be getting ready.” Iris stressed. “I'm sure the others would've been fine without you.”

“Yeah, probably. But I'm trying my hardest not to think about tonight.”

“Gladdy...”

Prompto almost dropped his bowl, but managed to catch it before his lunch went everywhere. It was Gladiolus out there? Suddenly, the overwhelming urge to run came back in full force. He put the bowl back on the table and rushed to the back of the tent. Thankfully, there was a second entrance he could escape through.

“I just...needed a distraction okay?” Gladiolus sighed. “ I'm not really ready... I've never even met the guy.”

“Well... he seems nice.” Iris said, probably more for Prompto's benefit than anything else.

“It doesn't matter if he's nice or not. The Emperor demands this.” He sounded defeated. “I have no choice.”

No choice? His uncle had told him that Gladiolus had accept the terms of the proposal, not that the tribe leader was being forced into the marriage. He supposes he should've known better, though. If the Emperor extends an offer, you don't turn him down.

“Just...be kind to him. He's just as scared as you are.”

Prompto didn't wait to hear the rest, he slipped out the back of the tent, wanting to be far away his future husband. Besides, he needed to get ready for tonight.


End file.
